Hi! Okay so can we PLEASE talk about how Astrid said "Hiccup where are you when I need you"? I really hit home for me! Like, What's Hiccup's role there and what would've happened if he was there? I want to know everything he would've thought. Why was Hiccup the first thought is Astrid's mind? that's the question. And how would he handled the twins if they were doing all that?? It's really something to think about
Right after Ruffnut becomes angry and chews Astrid out, Astrid says this line. âHiccup, where are you when I need you?â Itâs an interesting line in many ways.
Astrid and Hiccup work as a team, and we well-understand by now they have one anotherâs backs. They save one another on a number of occasions, especially in dangerous, high-action situations. That sort of dependency does not need to be talked about aloud between the two - they understand how the other acts, and coordinate themselves appropriately. I do think that, as the television series progresses, Hiccup and Astrid become increasingly attuned to one another in dangerous (and docile) situations. Itâs pretty cool. There isnât this usual sense of WHERE ARE YOU ASTRIDÂ or WHERE ARE YOU HICCUPÂ because the other is usually right there already, doing what needs to be done!
Hiccup and Astrid support one another in far more than combat, though. I have an old analysis about how Hiccup and Astrid support each other in their relationship, but even beyond that, there is a whole lot through which they rely upon each other or complement each other. Even the way in which Hiccup and Astrid call out each othersâ faults augments the other individual.
Now, in social situations with the entire group, Hiccup and Astrid tend to support one anotherâs position. When Hiccup proposes an idea, Astrid typically supports it. When Astrid proposes an idea, Hiccup usually jumps on it, too. There even seems to be an understanding that Hiccup and Astrid will back one another up even when the idea is not popular with the entire gang. For instance, in âThe Night and the Fury,â Hiccup optimistically allows Astrid to send the youths on a night-long training mission, despite the fact her previous drills have been a bit questionably hard core (hand to claw combat⊠hehehe). In âDawn of the Dragon Racers,â meanwhile, Astrid begrudgingly tells the other youths to support the Acting Chiefâs decision to proceed with the Regatta. Hiccup and Astrid help each other out in these social situations to help convince the entire group their ideas are good ones.
It means that Hiccup and Astrid, by supporting one another, can help smooth disagreements, differences of opinion, and sometimes even conflicts. Hiccup especially, acting as the leader of the Dragon Academy since he was a young teenager, is someone who gives the final authoritative word in disputes. He has frequently called the twins, Snotlout, and even Astrid into line. The youths listen to him and the dispute is usually closed once Hiccup speaks his thoughts.
At the start of âEdge of Disaster,â Astrid encounters a dispute between her and the twins. There is no third party to mediate the dispute or help align the disparate parties into some sort of compromise. Usually, that would be Hiccupâs job. All the youths would listen to Hiccupâs final word, and Astrid would suspect that Hiccup would treat her fairly, too, in the process. It makes sense that Astrid would moan, âHiccup, where are you when I need you?â She wants Hiccup there to mitigate this conflict, especially since he usually is someone who calls out the twins and gets everyone proceeding forward in the same goal. Astrid, hurt by the twinsâ outburst and struggling to build defenses on Dragonâs Edge, desperately needs Hiccupâs leadership authority and position as a widely-accepted third party mediator.
Of course this doesnât mean that Hiccup would automatically take Astridâs side, and I donât think she would expect him to blindly follow her every word. She knows he would treat her perspective fairly, though. She knows he would make the situation better. Astrid, clashing heads with the twins, cannot make the situation better.
It seems like Hiccup, indeed, is someone who helps bridge the gap between Astrid and the twins in general. Even before Hiccup leaves Dragonâs Edge, Astrid begs Hiccup not to leave her alone with the twins. Itâs clear she wants him around to help smooth any differences of perspective they have. Elsewhere in RTTE, Astrid asks Hiccup to repeat that speech âagainâ about how the twins are important. Itâs not that Astrid and the Thorstons are constantly at one anotherâs throat - itâs nothing like that - but everything proceeds more smoothly when Hiccup is there in the mix.
I imagine that Hiccup would find a middle ground between Astridâs side and the twinsâ. You would see him being notably sympathetic with Astrid. If she protests, which is quite possible, he would say, understandingly, âI know, butâŠâ and then give his reasoning for why she should listen to his judgment. This conflict in âEdge of Disasterâ might have been ironed out akin to âA Tale of Two Dragons,â where Hiccup tries to keep the peace between Astrid and Snotlout by teaching both youths about the otherâs perspective.
The truth of the matter is the twins are goofing around, but they have a point that Astrid is being a little harsh and disrespectful to them. I think Hiccup would notice that. There might be some danger of Hiccup chastising the twins more than Astrid, but there would at least be a private conversation between Hiccup and Astrid where she releases her frustrations, Hiccup helps her see what the twins are good for, and she calms down and treats them more appreciatively. Hiccup, as a creative individual himself, would actually realize the potential of the ziplines and point out their good uses. I definitely do think Hiccup would get the twins working, though, in a somewhat more organized manner. Heâs not someone to goof around like them. Itâd be a compromise seeking peace, fewer biting words, but⊠well⊠Hiccup is someone who likes work to get done, too.
The conflict probably would have been averted and closed a lot sooner in this regard. However, I almost imagine that it wouldnât have been as thoroughly dealt with. Astrid and the twins, forced into a situation where they have to learn to handle each other without assistance, gain a greater sense of understanding and appreciation for each other. Hiccupâs third party intercession would have smoothed tensions and prevented outbursts, but because of the outbursts, Astrid and the Thorstons gained a lot more perspective and understanding in the long run.
